Olympus E-3 vs Pentax K-5 II
56 Imaging
44 Features
56 Overall
48
60 Imaging
57 Features
82 Overall
67
Olympus E-3 vs Pentax K-5 II Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 890g - 142 x 116 x 75mm
- Launched February 2008
- Succeeded the Olympus E-1
- Updated by Olympus E-5
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Boost to 51200)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 760g - 131 x 97 x 73mm
- Revealed June 2013
- Earlier Model is Pentax K-5
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Olympus E-3 vs Pentax K-5 II Overview
Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-3 versus Pentax K-5 II, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and K-5 II (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and K-5 II (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe E-3 was revealed 6 years before the K-5 II and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Mid-size SLR).
Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-3 grades against the K-5 II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards Olympus E-3 vs Pentax K-5 II Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-3 & Pentax K-5 II. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Pentax K-5 II Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-3 over the Pentax K-5 II
| E-3 | K-5 II | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating display | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Pentax K-5 II over the Olympus E-3
| K-5 II | E-3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | June 2013 | February 2008 | More recent by 64 months | |
| Display dimensions | 3" | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") | |
| Display resolution | 921k | 230k | Clearer display (+691k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-3 and Pentax K-5 II
| E-3 | K-5 II | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Very accurate focus | |||
| Touch display | Lack of Touch display |
Olympus E-3 vs Pentax K-5 II Physical Comparison
For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-3 enjoys outer dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 II has specifications of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-3 versus Pentax K-5 II in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-3 and the K-5 II.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and K-5 II is 56 and 60 respectively.
Olympus E-3 vs Pentax K-5 II Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it's difficult to envision the gap between sensor measurements purely by reading specifications. The visual below may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-3 and K-5 II.
Plainly, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-3 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax K-5 II will deliver greater detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.
Olympus E-3 vs Pentax K-5 II Screen and ViewFinder
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoStreet Comparison
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banSports Comparison
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideTravel Comparison
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesLandscape Comparison
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthVlogging Comparison
Photography Glossary
Olympus E-3 vs Pentax K-5 II Specifications
| Olympus E-3 | Pentax K-5 II | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model | Olympus E-3 | Pentax K-5 II |
| Type | Advanced DSLR | Advanced DSLR |
| Launched | 2008-02-20 | 2013-06-04 |
| Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | TruePic III | Prime II |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.7 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 372.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 10MP | 16MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 |
| Peak resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4928 x 3264 |
| Highest native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
| Highest enhanced ISO | - | 51200 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Minimum enhanced ISO | - | 80 |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Number of focus points | 11 | 11 |
| Cross focus points | - | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
| Number of lenses | 45 | 151 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
| Display size | 2.5 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of display | 230k dots | 921k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Display tech | - | TFT LCD monitor |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | 0.61x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Max shutter speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/8000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter rate | 5.0fps | 7.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 13.00 m | 13.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash options | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, High speed, Rear curtain and Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/250 seconds | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (25 fps), 1280 x 720 (25, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (25, 30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | - | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | Optional |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 890g (1.96 lb) | 760g (1.68 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 142 x 116 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") | 131 x 97 x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 56 | 82 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 21.6 | 23.8 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 10.5 | 14.1 |
| DXO Low light score | 571 | 1235 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 980 pictures |
| Form of battery | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | - | D-LI90 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage type | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Card slots | One | One |
| Retail price | $670 | $830 |